


A Very Misunderstood Vegetable

by cosmic_llin



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 05:38:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9534065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/pseuds/cosmic_llin
Summary: Benjamin Sisko and Elim Garak bump into each other in the community garden.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AreYouReady](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AreYouReady/gifts).



> With thanks to purplefringe and little-brisk for their input!

The community garden in Cargo Bay 21 had, as far as anyone could tell, just kind of happened. Chief O’Brien had designated the space for botanical use back when he’d thought about making it into an arboretum for Keiko, but after she’d gone to Bajor instead, someone must have seen the listing on the room plan and decided to go plant things in there anyway.

However it had started, there was plenty going on in there now. Someone had brought in some long, narrow planters, and some wall pots and planting shelves. There was an old cargo container where people had left tools – trowels and gloves and spare pots and kneeling pads.

Ben Sisko had heard about it in passing a few times, but he’d never been down to take a look before. But what little space he had in his quarters for growing things was already taken up with herbs, and he’d needed somewhere to plant the beet seeds he’d gotten hold of on his last trip to Earth. They were an heirloom variety, from a Ukrainian farm where they’d been growing them for centuries. Worf had given him the tip, and coming from Worf, that was practically a hug.

So he’d taken the turbolift down to the cargo bay, bag of seed clusters in hand, and now he was standing in the doorway, a little confused.

‘Ah…’ said a voice. ‘Captain Sisko. Can I help you?’

Ben realised he’d been standing gormlessly in the doorway for a good half a minute while Garak watched from the shadows in the corner of the room.

‘Mister Garak,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know you liked plants.’

Garak half-smiled. ‘Oh, yes, Captain. I was a gardener for a while. I must confess I found it very fulfilling.’

Ben looked around. ‘Uh…’

‘Is this your first visit to our little haven, Captain?’

‘As a matter of fact, it is.’

‘May I ask what you’re planting? Perhaps I can help you find a good place for it.’

‘It’s beets.’

‘Beets?’

‘An Earth vegetable. It needs light and moderate warmth…’

‘Ah, then the best place for it is this planter over here…’ Garak led the way to one of the long troughs. ‘I believe there’s some space right there, beside the Andorian cabbages.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ben.

‘Any time, Captain,’ said Garak.

He moved back into the shadowy corner where Ben had first spotted him. Ben shrugged, and knelt down. He pressed a hand gently against the soil – it was moist but not waterlogged, which seemed about right. Not that he was all that much of a gardener. He’d always been more interested in cooking vegetables than growing them.

Perhaps he should have done some reading beforehand to find out exactly how one planted beets.

‘Captain?’ asked Garak.

He hadn’t meant to, but Ben realised belatedly that he had made a confused sound.

‘Have you… ever gardened before?’ Garak asked.

Ben threw up his hands. ‘A little?’ he said. ‘I grow a few things in pots, mostly herbs. I’ve never grown my own vegetables before. I’m not totally sure what I’m doing.’

‘Tell me more about these… beets,’ said Garak, the ghost of a grin hovering on his lips.

Ben couldn’t help meeting his eyes and smiling back.

‘They’re a root vegetable,’ he said. ‘About… so big when they’re fully grown.’ He stretched out his hands to demonstrate. ‘The leaves are edible too – they make a nice salad. They’re a very versatile vegetable. Delicious, healthy…’

He was babbling – why was he babbling?

‘May I examine the seeds?’ Garak asked.

Ben fished them out of the packet and passed them to Garak. Their fingers brushed against each other as he handed them over. Garak’s hands were cool to the touch, his fingers covered with soil from whatever he was working on himself.

Garak opened his palm to look at the seeds. ‘My advice would be to plant these around an inch deep, perhaps an inch apart. If I may?’

‘Be my guest.’

Garak poked a few shallow holes in the soil with his index finger, and carefully dropped a seed cluster down each one. Casually, he took Ben’s hand, guided it, showed him how deep to make the hole.

‘Do you see?’ he asked.

Ben raised his eyebrows. His pulse was a drumbeat. ‘I think I have the idea.’

Garak straightened up, gave him an ironic smile. ‘Then I’ll leave you to your beets, Captain.’

Ben planted for a while, quietly. Garak, in his own corner, got on with whatever he was doing. The silence was companionable. After a while Ben realised that he’d been humming to himself. Garak hadn’t said anything, wasn’t looking in his direction, but Ben could feel that part of his attention was on him, in spite of appearances.

Once all the seeds were planted, he stood up, stretched, brushed his muddy hands off on his pants. He went to the corner water fountain, filled a watering can and sprinkled the newly planted seeds. That seemed to be about it. But for some reason he was reluctant to leave the comfortable quiet.

‘What are you growing over there?’ he asked Garak.

‘Foxgloves,’ said Garak. ‘One of your Terran plants.’

‘Foxgloves…’ said Ben. ‘Aren’t they poisonous?’

Garak smirked. ‘Don’t fret, Captain. If I wanted to poison anyone on this station, there are easier ways, believe me. Although if there was someone who especially deserved to be poisoned – a certain Gul of our mutual acquaintance, let’s say – there are myriad fascinating options in this community garden alone, if one knows where to look.’ He paused, his face entirely neutral. ‘I just like the colour, though,’ he continued, bending over to tend the foxgloves again.

‘They’re beautiful,’ Ben agreed.

‘As one gets older, one appreciates these simple things,’ Garak said.

Ben looked around at the quiet garden, the neat rows of crops, the bright falls of flowers, and Garak in muted green and brown, at home with the plants.

‘Well… I’d better be going,’ he said.

‘Come back soon, Captain.’

Ben looked over his shoulder, but Garak was already hidden behind the foxgloves again.


End file.
